Oil-well tester and sampler for determining point of fluid entry



w. c. ERwlN E1' AL OIL WELL TESTER AND SAMPLER FOR DETERMINING POINT/.0F FLUID ENTRY Filed Jan. 10. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A TTORNE Y.

llllll IIII JU Dec.- 13, 1927.

' W. C. ERWIN ET AL OIL WELL TESTER AND SAMPLER FOR DETERMINING POINT OF FLUID ENTRY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I Filed Jan. 10, 1927 I Ptntd 13, 19270 uNiTsD STATES PQATENT worries.

ywarmen o. aawm, or Yom Lnma, AND caen. n. swam, oir am cgn'jn,

OIL-WELL TESTER un su; :man ron nmaaunmie rom oir num mirar.

Application iled January 10, 1927. Serial lo. 180,091.

rI his invention relates to tools for determining the points of entry .of fluids into flui if desired. It has been particularly designed for use in oil wells and its primary object is to locate rupturesin well casings which ruptures may have been-caused by c wear, accident or otherwise. `Another object 1s to take advantage of the movements of fluid entering a casing by causing the entering of lthe electrical type, and to insure the procuring of an` accurate sample.

p Brieflystated, the inventioncomprises a tool adapted to be lowered int` a well by means of a cable, and provided with packing oif means for shutting out fluids other than those which may be enterin thewell at the point being tested, The too includes a bod containing a. turbine or other movable device adapted to actuate a make-and-break device or other si al and to be actuated by a stream of ilui passing through a break in the casing and caused to enter said body through perforations provided therein. Said fluid stream is directed past the turbine to a point of discharge beyond the packino' off means. The body also includes a thief or sample chamber into which portion of the entering fluid is ada ted to p ass, and this chamber is controlle by means of a valve which is adapted to close under movement of fluid downward through the tool as it is being elevated for removal from the well.

85 This luid movement is permitted by reason of a tube which passes through said body and serves to b -pass the normal fluid con tent of the wel so that the device may be either raised or lowered. The invention rev sides further in the various other novel fea- Fig. 4 is -a view chiefly in elevation show` deeg wells and for taking samples of suchA fluid to actuate 'a signal, preferablyof the casing -C- and thereby insure form of- The vform illustrated in Figs. 1. and 2 is n shown as being suspended in a well casing -C o posite a break or rupture R- `therein t rough which fluid is entering the well. l This form comprises acylindrical body member 10 having a plurality of o enings or perforations 12 through which t e fluid isl adapted to enter said body 10, and to the upper and lower ends thereof are attached respectiyely the packing-oil sections 14 and 15, section 15 beine' connected through the medium of a couping block 16. Sections 14 and 15 carry spaced packing rubbers 17 whose ends are engaged by metal retainers 18, and the end retainers of each section .14 and 15 are in turn engaged by positionlng `rings 20 while the opposing retainers `are engaged by expansion springs 22 which insure compression of the rubbers' and proper engagement thereof with the inner walls pforer shutting ofi' of the water, oil or other fluid above and below the device. The outer ends of the packing off sections are provided with cages 24 having large openings 25 for the admission or discharge of lluid as the tool 1s raised or lowered in the well, and the up-l per cage has a connection or socket 26 which receives the lower end of a su porting cable 28'carry1ng a conductor 30 or electricity. Said conductor 30 leads down through the section 14 into the cylindrical body 10 where 1t connects with a make-and-break device presently to be described.

lchamber 38 to the coupling block 16 into .which its lower end is threaded in alinement .with a bore`39 therein, which .bore connects with the interior of lpacking off section 15. The upper side of t e strainer plate-32 is provided with a strainer cap perforated as indicated at 42 for the passage of fluid to and from the tube 35.

Within the chamber 36 above the openings 12, there is located a spider or supporting late 45 having fluid assages 46, an a tur liine 48 is mounted or rotation about the tube 35 upon anti-friction bearings-49 between the turbine and the spider 45 on one side and between the turbine and a collar 50 fixed to the tube on the other side. The turbine carrics a stud 52 or the like adapted upon notation of the turbine to engage and actuatI a make-and-break device 54 in circuit with the electric conductor 30.

Thus, when the tool is lowered into the well casing -C-, fluid will pass up through Jthe section 15, the tube 35 and the section 14 to the upper end of t-he device by way of the cage openings 25, thereby allowing the tool to be lowered without material interference from the liquid inthe well. At the same time the packing rubbers 17 will seal oil' fiom the inlet openings 12in body 10 i all fluid found above and below the tool.

However, when the openings 12 come within range of fluid entering thecasing -C- througli a break or rupture -R, the stream of such' fluid is confined by the packers 17 and forced to travel through said openings 12 into the body 10 and upward past spider 45. whence it travels through turbine 48 and out through the strainer 32 to mingle with the fluid passing through tube 35. yThis movement causes rotation of the turbine 48 with consequent actuation of make-andbreak 54 by the stud 52, thereby producing corresponding fluctuations of electric current in the conductor 30 and causing operation of any desired type of signaling means to which the conductor leads at the top of the well. Thus when the signal begins to function, the operator can note the length of cable paid out and thereby determine the location of the rupture. If the break is of considerable lengtn, the signal will continue to operate as long as the device passes alongside thereof and fluid continues to enter the casing and pass through the turbine.

In order that the tool may be employed as a thief for taking samples of entering Huid, the partition 37 at the top of thief chamber 38 is provided with an outlet passage 55, while the coupling block 16 at the lower side of' said chamber is provided with a valve 56 and an inlet passage 58 controlled thereby. Thus li uid entering the casino` between packers 1 will be forced througli said passage 58 and into the chamber 38. The valve stem 59 passes down through a guide channel 60 in block 16 and has its lower end anchored in a float 62 provided with a Venturi opening 64 alined with bore 39. and the position of the float is maintained by means of a guidepin 65 secured in the float and working in a guide channel 66 in the block 16.

Thus, when a sam le of entering fluid is desired, the tool is a owed to remain opposite a rupture for a sufiicient length of time for the fluid to enter through assage 58 and completely fill the thief chamber 38, the air in said chamber or any other fluid not desired being gradually vented through outlet 55 into chamber 36, the float keeping said valve open. As soon as the tool begins to rise when being withdrawn from the well, the rush of fluid downward through the tube 35 from the upper section 14 to the lower section 15, wil by reason of discharge into the venturi 64 of float 62, cause the float to be depressed, thereby seating the valve. When the device is received at the Surface, the

sample may be obtained by inserting a small tool into passage 58 and under a nut 68 on the valve stem and prying up on said nut to cause the valve toppen.

Where it is desired to tests for fluid which may be entering at the bottom of a well, the lower packing off section 15 is replaced.- by a section 70 which has no packing-off elements. This section 70 carries on its lower lend a cage 72 having fluid openings 73 and a valve 74 adapted to engage a valve seat 75, the valve stem 76 pro'ecting through the cage andl being actnate by a spring 78 bearing against a foot 80 on the lower end of said stem. When the tool is lowered into the bottom of a well as indicated in Fig. 5, the weight of the parts causes compression of `the spring 78 `and seating of the valve upon its seat 75, thus cutting off flow through openings 73 and forcing the fluid through openings 12 into the chamber 36 to cause operation of the turbine 48.

What we claim is:

1. A well tester comprising a body ineinber adapted to be lowered into a well casing and having (packing-off means connected therewith, sai member enclosing a chamber, said chamber havin a fluid inlet thereto within the confines osaid packing-off means and an outlet leading be ond said means, and a moving device within said chamber adapted to actuate a signal and operable by a current of fluid flowing through said chamber.

2. A well tester comprising a body adapted to be lowered into a well and enclosing a fluid-receivin chamber2 ackin -ofl' means carried by sai body, sai cham ier having ion insv

a fluid inlet within the confines of the packing-off means and an outlet beyond said means, a turbine within said chamber adapted to be actuated by a fluid current through said chamber, si alin means adapted to be actuated by said tur ine, and by-passing means for conductin fluid from one side of the device to the ot er without passage thereof through the chamber.

`into a well casing comprisin 3. A well tester adapted to be lowered into a well casing for detecting fluid laeks through the casing, comprising a body member adapted to be lowered into the casing, packing-off means carried by said-member and adapted to be shut-ofi' and confine fluid leaking into the casing, said chamber having a fluid inlet within the confines of said packing-off 4means and an outlet for discharging fluid beyond said means, a tube extending through said chamber and adapted to conduct another fluid from one side of said body member to the other as the device is raised and lowered, a rotary member mounted to rotate about said tube under influence of a fluid current moving from said inlet to said outlet, and signaling means actuable by-said rotary member.

4. A well tester adapted to be lowered a body member enclosing a sample cham er and carrying packing-ofi' means adapted to conline fluid leaking through the casing, vsaid chamber having an inlet at its lower end for leaking fluid and a vent at its upper end, a valve for said inlet, a float connected with said valve for opening the valve, and a tube extending through said chamber and adapted to conduct another fluid stream from one end of the device to the other, said 'float having a Venturi opening in the path .of discharge of said tube when fluid is passing downward throuvh the tube whereby the eliect of said discharge upon the float causes the valve to close.

5. A well tester comprising a hollow body -member enclosing a fluid-sample receiving chamber and carryingpacking-off means adapted to confine a stream leaking into the well, said" chamber having a fluid inlet within' the confines of said packing-ofil means and an outlet for discharge therebeyond, means for by-passing another stream of fluid from-one side ofA the device to the other, a normally open valve for admitting the sample in saidchamber, and means actuable by the stream of bypassing iluid for closmg said valve when the tester is being elevated from the well. 6. A well tester adapted to be lowered into a casing, lcomprising a body 'enclosing well, each chamber having a fluid inlet with in the confines of said packing-ofi' means, and an outlet for discharge beyond said packing-oli' means whereby the stream of leaking fluid is directed through said chambers and said movable member is actuated thereby, a Valve for said sample chamber for retaining a sample, and means actuable by the stream of by-passed fluid for operating said valve in .onedirectiorn f 7. A well tester adapted to be `lowered into a well casing, comprising a body enclosing a sample chamber and a second chamber thereabove, a tube extending through said chambers for by-passing a stream of fluid from vone end of the device to the other, packing-'oil' means on the device for confining a stream of fluid leaking into the well, each chamber having an inlet for leakin fluidwithin the confines of said packing-o means and an outlet for dis-A charge beyond said means, a movable member in the second chamber adapted to be actuated by the fluid passing therethrough, a signaling means actuated by said member, a valve for the sample chamber adapted to. retain a sample, and means controlling said valve, said controlling means being in the path of the by-passed fluid stream and actuable thereby whenl the fluid moves in one direction.

In witness that We claim the foregoing we have hereunto subscribed our names this 27th day of October, 1926.

. WELDON C. ERWIN.

CECIL H. SWEET. 

